Is the Mirage as good as it gets?

[Canoehead]

I'll clarify "good".

Excellent fuel economy.
Affordable purchase price.
Functional/reliable car (usable all seasons/weather, seating for 2 or more, parts available, some crash protection - basically not just a project of a college design team that only runs 30km/h and is made of foil/styrofoam)

It seems the Mirage does an excellent job of maintaining our basic status quo/understanding of the car, while pushing the boundary a little further. The Urbee (my home-town favourite) and the Elio (much closer to production) take another step in redefining what a car can be, and take advantage of the huge aerodynamic benefit of 3 wheels.

Who thinks the Elio will be a success?

[MetroMPG]

Sorry, but I'm going to be the rain on this parade. I voted "the market isn't ready."

However, with respect to Elio, I would have voted "highly skeptical it will ever make it to production."

I've seen too many start-up auto companies promising something better & different fail. I fell in love with the ultra-efficient Aptera. Dead. Corbin Sparrow/Myers Motors: dead. Highly funded & gorgeous (but not actually very efficient) Fisker Karma: dead... possibly coming back from the dead for a second attempt.

The only new, innovative car company that has survived past the earliest stages of production in recent memory seems to be Tesla.

That said, I think we're going to see "better Mirages" from conventional car companies. Fuel prices and efficiency regulations are driving the established players to improve their game, if slowly.

[Canoehead]

Sorry, but I'm going to be the rain on this parade. I voted "the market isn't ready."

However, with respect to Elio, I would have voted "highly skeptical it will ever make it to production."

I've seen too many start-up auto companies promising something better & different fail. I fell in love with the ultra-efficient Aptera. Dead. Corbin Sparrow/Myers Motors: dead. Highly funded & gorgeous (but not actually very efficient) Fisker Karma: dead... possibly coming back from the dead for a second attempt.

The only new, innovative car company that has survived past the earliest stages of production in recent memory seems to be Tesla.

That said, I think we're going to see "better Mirages" from conventional car companies. Fuel prices and efficiency regulations are driving the established players to improve their game, if slowly.

I too loved that Aptera. I am hopeful for Elio for a couple of reasons - it is a much more simple vehicle (no hybrid stuff, many off-the-shelf parts), and a much less expensive one. I think many families will buy one as a second vehicle and consider the purchase to be more like getting a Sea-doo, or motorcycle. It will appeal to efficiency folks like us, but also to those who want something different/unique, those who cannot afford normal new car, and those who like the "made in USA" bit - seems like it will be simple to repair, too. Compared to the Aptera, this seems more like the sort of thing people would be comfortable with. I also think that with every year that passes people become more environmentally conscious/aware that oil is finite. The time will come for hyper-efficient cars, the question is just when.

In the mean time, if the big guys want to get in the race I'd love to see it!

[Bogeyman]

I'll clarify "good".

Excellent fuel economy.
Affordable purchase price.
Functional/reliable car (usable all seasons/weather, seating for 2 or more, parts available, some crash protection - basically not just a project of a college design team that only runs 30km/h and is made of foil/styrofoam)

It seems the Mirage does an excellent job of maintaining our basic status quo/understanding of the car, while pushing the boundary a little further.

Indeed. It certainly has its flaws (road and wind noise, the occasional rattles, vague steering) but the Mirage is hard to beat in terms of features in its price point, things like push button start, GPS navigation and ABS that you find only in more expensive offerings. "Value for money" is a cliche that I never get tired of using when talking about the Mirage, and I do hope other car manufacturers can build on its strengths with better models down the road.

[Mitsuman]

That's one of the big reasons I bought a 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS - value for the money. And gorgeous good looks, too.